Tuberculosis care in a low-incidence healthcare setting: what is the role of clinical pharmacists?

Abstract

Background: Pharmacists have been recognised for their important role in providing care to patients affected by tuberculosis (TB). Most research is conducted in high-burden countries. The role of clinical pharmacists (CPs) in Australia, where the incidence of TB is relatively low, is less clear. Aim(s): To clarify the role of CPs in TB care in a metropolitan, multi-site healthcare network in Australia and identify strengths and areas for improvement in practice. Method(s): This retrospective electronic health record review used a convergent mixed-methods design to identify pharmacist involvement and intervention in 80 adult patients affected by active TB. Demographic and electronic health record data were analysed concurrently using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the Monash Health Research Office (Research Support Services) (Reference no: QA/103394/MonH-RES-23-0000-802Q). The justification for this exemption was as follows: the study conforms with the Ethical considerations in quality assurance and evaluation activities, used retrospective patient data from existing health records which was deidentified for analysis and stored securely to protect patient privacy. Result(s): Five core activities specific to the role of CPs in TB care were identified: adherence monitoring/support, maintaining accurate records, TB medicines optimisation, education and counselling provision, and monitoring TB medicines safety. An identified strength and the most frequent involvement was adherence monitoring. The most frequent intervention was vitamin D dosing recommendations. Variability in clinical knowledge and provision of gold-standard care between pharmacists was evident, including the supply of TB-specific information and recommendations based on microbiology results. Conclusion(s): This study outlines suggested core activities for CPs caring for patients affected by TB. To improve practice, the development of clinical education modules for TB and standardised patient counselling tools should be prioritised. The authors advocate for specialised TB pharmacists to collaboratively direct the standard of care and guide CPs in providing quality TB care across Australia.Copyright © 2025 Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.